Splash Around

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Wildlife Pictures

Ever since I was younger I wanted to be a wildlife film-maker or photographer. That is part of the reason I started Potspoon! a few years back. It was supposed to have more videos, but also gave me a chance to flex my science writing skills and post some of the amazing pictures my husband and I have had the fortune of taking these past six or so years.

In the picture above, for example, I am stoked to be so close to a wild buffalo. I am glad my husband had the digital as I am rarely in any of our outdoors photos. The camera in my hand is a 35 mm camera because it just takes that good of pictures. I love the opportunity to take pictures of any sort of wildlife. My husband is excellent at flora and I take care of the fauna. It's a good match.

There is something absolutely magical about seeing an animal in the wild up close. There is a mutual respect that passes through you and the animal, as cheesy as that may sound. I know that a buffalo is capable of amazing ground speeds and could trample me. I have to respect that but also show that I do not intend to harm in return. My healthy fear and respect for the majesty of nature has allowed me some fantastic shots through the years and makes me want to learn more of the intricacies of photography.I'm ok with the SLR I have but really want to learn to better apply f/stop and shutter speed settings. Experimenting with them is one thing, but I want to step it up for sure! Mother Nature deserves a professional approach. Anyone can set things to certain settings and have the camera do all the work.

I suppose that is why I like my camera. It only does so much for me. I can't doctor or edit the photos easily. I can't take 100 photos and pick out the best ones. Well, I could, but it would be expensive and cost me lots of film and time. You have to make every shot count. Using a camera without all the fancy settings has made a better photographer and I can't wait to learn more.